Holiday Special: Interview and Fan Q&A with girugamesh

A decade after their formation, four-piece industrial rock band girugamesh are showing little sign of slowing down. Throughout their long career, the band members have experimented with various musical styles, attracting fans from a broad spectrum of musical tastes. Their constantly evolving sound ensures that boredom is kept to a minimum, and their large fan base is a testament to the quality of their music.

This holiday period, girugamesh spends some time answering JaME's questions, as well as yours.

Your latest album is titled gravitation. Why that title?

Satoshi: Because all the songs are heavy. We titled it gravitation to express such an atmosphere.

Aside from your European tour, what have the highlights of 2014 been for you? (They don’t have to be career-related)

Яyo: I made a lot of foreign friends. And I speak English much better.

Tell us about some changes you’ve seen in your fellow bandmates this year. (They can be good or bad changes)

Nii: I spent a lot of time with the band members this year because we had long tours in and outside Japan, so I got to know each member's personality again, on both good and bad points.

What is one food that is a must-have on your Christmas/New Year menu?

Nii: I eat Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas, and definitely Zōni on New Year's.
[Translator's note: Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan began a nationwide campaign for eating chicken on Christmas in 1974 with TV commercials because it was not easy to get turkeys in Japan at that time. Eating chicken on Christmas is popular in Japan nowadays.]

In your opinion, what's the best place to celebrate Christmas/New Year?

ShuU: During the thirty years I've been alive, I've spent Christmas with my family at home, with my friends, with my girlfriend, with the band members and fans at a concert venue, at a party outside and even completely alone. But I've spent it with my family or alone for the past few years, so I want to do it at a concert venue soon. That's the most appropriate place for my current mindset.

What were the best/worst presents you've received for Christmas?

Яyo: Nothing in particular.

What are your goals for 2015?

ShuU: The band has reached its tenth anniversary, and we're trying to reorganize the team and environment from zero. It's a seeding period from 2014 to 2015. We're carefully trying to bring girugamesh up again. So, we will carefully nurture a bud that came up from a seed in 2015, and we might harvest it if it grows soon. Anyway, we will find out whether we can harvest it or not, if we continuously nurture it in 2015. We must take on an aggressive stance in a careful but daring manner. It'll be an offensive year.

What message would you like to spread for Christmas/New Year?

Satoshi: Fool around freely. Let off your stress!

Fan Q&A

When and where was your favorite performance?
-Callum, United Kingdom

Satoshi: Our performance in Paris was my favourite. The fans were the hottest and loudest. I was excited as I entered the venue. It was the best!

Dear girugamesh, thank you for coming to Europe this year. You were awesome (as always)! What was the funniest moment of the European tour?
-Ata, Hungary

Nii: The most fun moments were during the shows, you see! We'll go to there for shows again, so let's have fun together then!

Which song of yours do you consider the best?
-Mirtz, Poland

ShuU: I think every song that we produced and created up till today is the best. But a lot of bands would answer the same thing. In my opinion, I think our new songs are always the best; for example, if we had a concert in Germany today, the set list for the concert would be the best for us at the moment.

Your last EP brought a refreshing, hard and fast sound, bringing to mind the album “MUSIC”, but with a more metalcore sound. What is the next step for girugamesh’s music?
-Evanilson, Brazil

Яyo: It can probably be harder. Although I can't clearly see it yet, you can put your hopes in our next work.

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